


falling into someone i have never been

by roryfreisthler



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Trans, Appearance-Altering Magic, Gen, M/M, Magic, Songfic, Trans Mal, Trans Male Character, ftm character, if only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 06:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14909820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryfreisthler/pseuds/roryfreisthler
Summary: Mal tells Ben something she's never told anyone - and this time, it's not her middle name.





	falling into someone i have never been

“You know, I’ve done all the talking. I really don’t know that much about you. Tell me something,” Ben says, and Mal feels her throat seize up. 

Shaking off the anxiety that maybe he’s seen through her, she says “Well, I’m 16. I’m an only child. And I’ve only ever lived in one place.”

“Me too. That… we have so much in common already!” Ben says, with a goofy voice, then looks at her, an eyebrow raised. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Which thing do you want to know?” Mal asks. “A girl’s got to keep her secrets, you know,” The words leave a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I want to know the real you, Mal Bertha,” Ben says, placing a hand on hers. 

What does a love potion make someone fall in love with, Mal wonders? The person, or the appearance? “You can’t laugh,” she instructs him.

“Promise,” Ben responds.

Taking a deep breath, Mal lifts her other hand up. “If he really wants to see, show him who I want to be,” With a wave of her finger in front of her face, the spell is cast, and she searches Ben’s face for a reaction. She can feel the air on the back of her neck, and the lack of weight on her chest, so she knows it has worked.  

“You want to be a tomboy? How would  _ that  _ make me laugh?” Ben asks, shaking his head in confusion. “Lonnie’s a tomboy, that’s okay in Auradon. People can be who they want to be here.”

Mal bites her lip and shakes her head. “No,” Thinking up the incantation in her head, she says “Shed these clothes, show him a man spoken of in prose,” With a wave of her finger, she’s wearing a suit and tie, nothing like the fancy dress she had put on.

Ben’s eyes widen in realization at Mal’s usage of the word “man” and her new formal wear. “Oh,” 

Mal sits in front of him, trembling. This has got to be it, right? Him saying she’s broken, exactly the weirdo that he expected a villain kid to be?

But instead he’s diving into the water, and splashing her, playing with her like he plays with the guys on the tourney team. “Got you!”

“You asshole!” is her response, as she steps into the water after him to get him back.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aware Mal uses she/her pronouns, but that's because she hasn't really accepted herself yet.


End file.
